Once again, I came home with rabbits!
Too many rabbits
I came across someone whose rabbits had multiplied too much. I got in touch to ask if they were okay, and they said, “No, I’m not.” So I decided to help rehome some of them.
The owner is an Angora rabbit breeder who shows rabbits and breeds beautifully shaped ones to win prizes. At first it all went smoothly, but they took in rabbits every time a fellow breeder left the island, and caring for their own young children got harder, so what they once managed became too much. It’s not a collapse — the rabbits are all well cared for and very friendly. But long-haired rabbits inevitably get hairballs (tangled mats of fur), and the owner couldn’t keep up with grooming.
I’m still a beginner with rabbits, so I mainly took short-haired ones, plus just four long-haired ones for now. My plan was to trim their coats nicely, fluff them up, and then pass them on to new families.
Let’s bring one out. This is Fuwafuwa (“Fluffy”). Such a cute face with a short little nose, and you can hold him like a stuffed animal. He’s a male, about six months to a year old, yet so small — nothing like our own rabbits. Rabbits like him are very popular as pets.
It wasn’t all 100 rabbits; the owner was keeping about ten, and the rest needed homes. I planned to take a few myself. Once each one was groomed, I took a profile photo and looked for adopters in Hawaii, and I asked everyone to help spread the word. It was a lot of work, and I was grateful for the help.
Morning rounds
Good morning! Yukinko, you’re looking prettier than ever. The wild hens who moved into the room for the first time yesterday are milling around up top. The pale one on the right is the mother and the black one is her daughter; different colors, but they look just alike. Everyone’s eyes are round with surprise.
The papaya comeback
I was too sad to announce it, but back when Dolly was here, she got into the garden and snapped this papaya with her bottom, right after I’d cheered that it was taller than me. It was knocked back to 15 cm. But it branched into three stems, grew past my height again, and now it has a flower bud about to open! Maybe this time we’ll actually harvest papayas. Please ripen before typhoon season knocks you over!
The lettuce I planted is growing well. There’s turmeric, big tomatoes, mint, cherry tomatoes, and our very first eggplant, while Min-min strolls around freely. See you next time!